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Interesting idea by Berger to run the 49ers “Big Nickel” as the base defense. It would mean playing five defensive backs, two linebackers and four down linemen.

The 49ers played most of two games with this alignment last year with mixed results. In week four, they went with Donald Strickland as the nickel back, but he usually played near the line of scrimmage like a linebacker. In that game the 49ers lost 23-3, Seattle quarterback Matt Hasselbeck completed 23 of 31 passes for 281 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for a passer rating of 109.7.

Later, the 49ers broke it out against the Bengals on national television with Jeff Ulbrich instead of Derek Smith as the linebacker beside Patrick Willis. In that one, Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer completed 19 of 31 passes for 252 yards for a touchdown and a rating of 97.8 in the 49ers’ 20-13 win.

A weakness of the defense should be stopping the run, with the removal of a linebacker for the hard-nosed, 187-pound Strickland. But the Seahawks were held to 97 yards on 33 carries by the running backs, an average of just under 3 yards a carry.

The Bengals gained 61 yards on 19 carries, a 3.2 yard average.

At least in these two games, the weakness was pressuring the passer. Hasselbeck was sacked twice; Palmer wasn’t sacked at all. Now maybe Manny Lawson could make the difference with pressure. But he didn’t prove to be a good pass rusher in his rookie season and has since been known as a coverage guy.

The 49ers have been built for a 3-4, so going with a 4-2-5 puts more slow-footed linemen on the field and keeps the supposed strength the defense, the linebackers, on the bench.

Interestingly, against the Bengals, the 49ers started Parys Haralson in what was really a 3-3-5 defense. Against Seattle, Isaac Sopoaga and Aubrayo Franklin started as defensive tackles with Bryant Young and Marques Douglas as defensive ends.

I agree with many of you that Willis’s rundown of wide receiver Sean Morey was a top-3 play. Not the burst the Willis bubble on that play, but if Willis didn’t catch Morey, strong safety Michael Lewis would have. It might be more of a commentary on Morey’s lack of speed than anything else, but still a great play.